Kayla Arnesen, 720.898.5919
karnesen@CommunityFirstFoundation.org

Chandra Brin, 303.235.1402
Chandra.Brin@efirstbank.com

Community First Foundation and FirstBank Announce Colorado Gives Day 2016

The annual 24-hour event has raised $111.5 million since inception

ARVADA, Colo. (June 1, 2016) – Colorado Gives Day, a statewide movement to increase online giving, is slated for Tuesday, December 6, 2016.

The event is presented by Community First Foundation, a local nonprofit dedicated to fueling positive change in Jefferson County, the Denver metropolitan area and beyond, and FirstBank, Colorado’s second largest bank and one of the most philanthropic companies in the state.

Since its inception in 2010, Colorado Gives Day has raised $111.5 million for Colorado nonprofits, making it among the most successful giving days in the nation. Last year alone, donors gave more than 123,000 individual donations to 1,884 nonprofits totaling$28.4 million, breaking all previous records.

“In only six years, Colorado Gives Day has become a philanthropic institution embraced by Coloradoans statewide,” said John Ikard, CEO of FirstBank. “We were astounded by the record-breaking success last year, and couldn’t be prouder to sponsor an event that supports thousands of nonprofit organizations and reflects our organization’s most important values.”

“Colorado Gives Day has changed the landscape of giving in Colorado and is the ultimate feel-good giving experience,” said Marla J. Williams, president and CEO of Community First Foundation. “FirstBank has been a great corporate partner and a steadfast supporter of our work connecting the givers with the do-ers.”

Colorado Gives Day is powered by ColoradoGives.org, a year-round, online giving website, featuring nearly 2,000 Colorado nonprofit organizations. The website makes giving and fundraising simple for nonprofits and donors. In addition, Colorado Gives Day unites Coloradans in a common goal to strengthen the state’s nonprofits, educates communities on the benefits of online giving and raises awareness of Colorado’s nonprofit sector.

Nonprofit Participation
To participate in Colorado Gives Day 2016, nonprofit organizations must meet eligibility requirements and create, or update, a profile on ColoradoGives.org. There are no charges or monthly maintenance fees to participate. First-time nonprofits must attend an introductory session by August 1 in order to participate in Colorado Gives Day 2016.

More information on Colorado Gives Day 2016 is online at ColoradoGivesDay.org. For statistics on last year’s Colorado Gives Day and year-over-year comparisons, please visit ColoradoGives.org/data&reports.

About FirstBank
FirstBank operates more than 120 locations in Colorado, Arizona and California. FirstBank is the largest locally owned banking organization in Colorado, serving more than 700,000 customers. Since 2000, FirstBank has contributed more than $50 million and thousands of volunteer hours to charitable organizations. FirstBank is unique in that a majority of its stock is owned by management and employees. For more information, visit efirstbank.com.

About Community First Foundation
Since 1975, Community First Foundation has been helping generous donors and innovative nonprofits come together to improve the quality of life and create positive change in Jefferson County, the Denver metropolitan area and beyond. We serve as a connector, partner, collaborator and resource to fuel the power of community for the greater good.